Venetian blind



Dec. 21, 1948. ,R $456,946

VENETIAN BLIND Q I Filed May 25, 1946 /6 I he. 6.

INVENTOR m w w ATTORNEY-5.

Patented Dec. 21, 1948 nmrso srA'r-ss rarest iQFF-TC'E 'VENETIAN BLIND Frederick .D. Irwin, Warsaw, Ind,

Application May 25, 1946, Serial No, 672,276

(01. ISO-@173) 4 Claims. 1

This invention. relates .to improvements in Venetian blinds, and more particularly to the construction and arrangement of the slats or bars with the cords and tapes of a Venetian blind.

One of the primary disadvantages and diiiiculties most commonly experiencedwith Venetian blinds, and particularly with blinds having wooden slats, has been the assembly and disassembly of the slats or bars with the tapes and cords of the blind. A blind cannot be eiiectively cleaned unless it is disassembled, nor can it be refinished or p nted in assembled. condition. Also, to repair a blind it is usually necessary to disassemble it. A great amount of time and tedious labor is required to manipulate the largenumber of slats or bars of a blind to release them from the cords which through the openings in the slats and to remove them from the carrier tapes. It is the primary object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive construction by means of which the assembly and disassembly of a Venetian blind is simplified and speeded up to overcome the disadvantages aforementioned.

A further object is to provide a Venetian blind construction in which the slats or bars are strengthened and reinforced'toprevent breaking and splitting thereof.

A further object is to provide a Venetian blind construction in which the walls of the cord-receiving openings of the slats are metal bound to reduce wear and fraying of the cords upon manipulation of the blind during use and upon assembly and disassembly of the blind.

A further object is to provide a Venetian blind whose slats have open ended cord-receiving openings with novel releasable cord-retaining means spanning the mouths of the openings.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description and specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view of a. blind in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the section lines designated by the arrows in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective detail view of the slat construction.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a slat, with parts broken away.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a metal fitting used in the blind.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a retainer used with the blind.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral Ill designates a Window frame within which 2 a Venetian blind i2 is hung in theconventional manner in depending relation from a header member (not shown) which'is secured to the-upper partof the window frame at M and which-is concealed by the conventional trim strip 16.

The blindincludes two or more pairs oi-tapes it, the tapes of each'pair' being connected at equispaced intervals by cross tapes 26. The slats or bars 22 are supportcdupon the cross tapes 20 in the customary manner, together with the bottom bar i i. Suitable mechanism (not shown), actuatcd by cords '28, is provided at the upper part of the blind for relatively adjustingthe 1ongitudinal positions of the tapes Hi and t usadjusting the transverse inclination of the slats 22, as is well understood in the art. Thevertica1-extension and collapsing, i. 2., raising and lowering of the blinds is controlled by cords'23, of which one is preferably located between the-tapes [8 of two or more sets. Cords 28 are connected at their ends to bottom bar 24, pass upwardly to the operating mechanism (no-t shown) at the upper end of the blind, and include the runs or portions (ill which are adapted to be grasped and manipulated to raise and lower the blind, as is well understood in the art.

The slats '22 are provided with transversely elongated slots or openings 32 to receive the cords 23 freely therein. The openings 32 are of uniform width throughouttheir length, and they .re open at one side edge of the slat as best seen in Figs. 3 and A fitting 34, best shown in Fig. 5, and preferably formed of metalor plastic'material, fits snugly in the opening 32. Fitting is channel shaped cross section, having a central web portion and parallel flanges 38 spaced apart a distance to snugly embrace or fit upon the slats around the margins of the openings 32. The

tting is generally of U-shape in outline, with the webs 36 defining the inner portion of the U and spaced apart a distance slightly less than the width of the opening 32. The length of the fitting, i. e., from the bent part 40 to the free ends of the arms of the U, is less than the length of the opening 32, so that the ends of the arms of the fitting terminate in inwardly spaced relation to the edge of the slat at the mouth of the opening, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

A resilient retainer 42, best shown in Fig. 6, is preferably formed of wire bent in generally U- shape with elongated runs or legs A l and an intermediate bent portion 46. As shown, the free ends of the runs i i are flattened at 48 and the portion it constitutes a loop. In its normal position, the runs of the retainer extend relatively angul-arly so that the retainer is spring tensioned when the runs are parallel. The runs are so spaced when parallel that they fit within and bear against the Walls of opening 32, being inserted between the same and the webs 36 of fitting t l, and tensioned to resist release therefrom.

The fittings 34 are preferably mounted permanently upon the slats, being suitably secured in place. For example, when the fittings embrace the slat snugly, the paint or finish coating applied to the slat will firmly adhere and anchor the fitting to the slat. Of course, permanent mounting is not essential, particularly if the flanges 38 fit firmly and tightly upon the slats. In the assembly and disassembly of the blind, the removal and insertion of the cords 28 in the elongated cord-receiving openings of slats 22 can be accomplished rapidly and easily, assuming that the retainers G2 are not in place. The removal of these retainers for disassembly is accomplished easily and rapidly by merely pulling them lengthwise to release the runs 44 thereof from the sockets defined by the fitting 34 and the side walls of the opening 32 as shown in Fig. 4. In assembling the blind, the cords and slats are interconnected operatively by simply inserting the runs of the retainer into the abovementioned sockets after the cord has been passed into the slat openings. It is apparent that since the slats 22 merely rest free upon the cross tapes 20, and

since the cords 28 are received in elongated openings in the slats, the slats can be tilted laterally to facilitate application of the retainer to the slats and removal of the retainer from the slats as described above.

It will be observed that when the cords i8 and the openings 32 are positioned between the tapes 18 of each set, the retainers A2 will be restrained from undesired release from the slats by the adjacent tape 58. Primary reliance for fixed anchorage of the retainers is, however, placed upon the tensioned condition of the retainer when inserted in operative position in the receiving sockets defined by the fitting as above described.

In addition to the advantages mentioned above,

it will be observed that the construction described provides a smooth metal lining for the Walls of the cord-receiving opening. This prevents fraying of the cord in use and also insures It will also be noted that the It will be understood that, while the structure illustrated and described herein is preferred, the device may take other forms within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a Venetian blind, a slat having a transversely elongated cord-receiving opening therein, said openings being of substantially uniform Width and open at one end, a member fitting in and lining said opening and terminating spaced from said open end, said member cooperating with the walls of said opening to define a socket, and a retainer spanning said open end and including a portion fitting in said socket.

2. In a Venetian blind, a slat having an elongated transverse slot open at one end, a liner fitting in said slot, and a resilient retainer spanning the open end of said slot and detachably carried by said liner, said liner being of u-shape in cross section with opposite flange portions thereof embracing said slat at the margins of said slot, said retainer being U-shaped with its ends fitting between said liner'and the adjacent wall of said slot. 7

3. In a Venetian blind, a thin substantially flat elongated blind element having an elongated transverse slot open at one end, a U-shaped fitting having a web portion fittin in said slot and a pair of flanges projecting outwardly to embrace said element at the margins of said slot, and a resilient U-shaped retainer having an intermediate portion which spans the open end of said slot and opposite leg portions which fit between the flanges at opposite sides of said fitting.

4. In a Venetian blind, a thin substantially fiat elongated blind element having an elongated transverse slot open at one end, a U-shaped fitt having a Web portion fitting in said slot and a pair of fianges projecting outwardly to embrace said element at the margins of said slot, and a resilient U-shaped retainer having an intermediate portion which spans the open end of said slot and opposite leg portions which fit between the flanges at opposite sides of said fitting, the leg portions of said retainer being elongated and of fiat cross sectional shape.

FREDERICK D. IRWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

, UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,029,143 Wicks Jan. 28, 1936 2,073,016 Kirsch Mar. 9, 1937 2,202,752 Brenner May 28, 1940- 2,396,435 Rhodes Mar. 12, 1946 2,421,160 Newbill May 27, 1947 

